Split Pea Soup in Slow Cooker Recipe | ChefDeHome.com (2024)

FAQs

Why are my split peas not getting soft in slow cooker? ›

If your split peas are hard after this length of cooking time, there is something wrong with the peas or with your water. If the peas are very old and dried out, they won't soften. And if the water you use for making the soup is hard with lots of dissolved minerals that can stop the peas from softening.

Cooking. Bring about 1.5 cups of water or broth to a boil for every cup of lentils or split peas. Add the lentils, allow water to return to boiling, reduce heat, partially cover pan, and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the variety.

To Soak or Not to Soak

It's true, soaking peas overnight in water shortens their cooking time. But soaking isn't entirely necessary. Split peas cook relatively quickly. Unsoaked peas take from 1 to 2 hours of simmering; soaked peas take about 40 minutes.

How to Thicken Split Pea Soup. The potato should make your split pea soup perfectly thick and creamy. However, if the soup is still too thin for your liking, you can thicken it up with full-fat cream (though it may alter the flavor a bit) or a cornstarch slurry.

You could use whole peas instead of split peas. But even then there will be some thickening. You could (evidently) make a thinner soup on day 1, so that on the days after, the soup would be of a normal consistency. You could do this by just adding more water and leaving the potatoes out, if you use them.

A one-pound bag of split peas contains about 2 cups, enough to make two batches of this soup, and costs about $1.

Using onions, garlic, and fresh spices like thyme will add flavor to the soup. The real trick to making a bland pea soup extra tasty is using a bone or ham hock in the soup during the cooking process. Chicken broth will also add flavor to the soup.

Add the split peas to a pot with your preferred cooking liquid—water, vegetable broth, and bone broth are all good options. Bring to a boil over high heat, stir, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the split peas are tender but not mushy and most of the liquid is absorbed. It should take about 20 minutes.

The split peas themselves should be your thickening agent. When they are throughly cooked they will melt right into the liquid. If you want a smooth soup, puree with an immersion blender.

A recipe for "pea soup" from 1905 is made with split peas, salt pork and cold roast beef. The soup is strained through a sieve to achieve the desired texture. "Split pea soup" is a slightly thinner soup with visible peas and pieces of ham, especially popular in the Northeast, the Midwest and the Pacific Northwest.

How do you reduce gas in split pea soup? ›

How do you make pea soup not gassy? Using Ayurvedic cooking methods, rinsing and soaking your peas before cooking, and eating them in a balanced meal help make pea soup not gassy.

A lot of types of bacteria (and sometimes other microbes) produce waste products that can taste "sour." And soup/stock is a good growth medium for microbes, which is why most food safety organizations recommend only keeping soup for 3-4 days in the fridge.

If you add to many peas its not a problem because you can add more water to thin it out a little. On the other hand if you don't put in enough and have to add more it will overcook the peas you put in first. If you cook peas for too long the soup turns a brown color more than a green color.

Serve With

All you need is some Crusty French Bread, Dinner Rolls, or Biscuits to go with it. If you want to make this Split Pea Soup even better, try these toppings: Bacon Bits – add a nice salty bite. Croutons – homemade is best, but you can also use storebought.

If your split peas don't get soft, it's more likely they are old or were stored in a container that wasn't airtight. Even though they keep for quite a while, dried beans don't keep forever.

Add the split peas to a pot with your preferred cooking liquid—water, vegetable broth, and bone broth are all good options. Bring to a boil over high heat, stir, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the split peas are tender but not mushy and most of the liquid is absorbed. It should take about 20 minutes.

Cooking time will vary depending on your texture preference. Cook for longer if you desire soft peas. Don't overcook otherwise peas will shrivel and become tough. Season after cooking - once cooked, immediately add lemon juice (highly recommended) and seasoning(s) of choice.